R&D Project Leader / Polymer Scientist / Polyester Synthesis Specialist
- Development of biobased polyesters for use as sustainable packaging Materials
- Bioplastics based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid
- Chemical Recycling of “polyester type” plastic waste into circular materials
Nejib KASMI is a highly skilled Polymer Scientist with international research experience, in-depth knowledge and proven track record in developing fully biobased polyesters for use as sustainable packaging materials (e.g., Bioplastics based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid – FDCA), as well as in the chemical recycling of plastic waste. He is currently working as R&D Project Leader / Polymer Synthesis Specialist at Avantium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Before that, he worked as researcher at the Institute Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM), French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Montpellier, France (Research project: Development of reversibly designed crosslinked polymers based on dynamic covalent chemistry). Before joining CNRS, he worked in several leading European research groups. In fact, he recently worked as researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden (Research projects: 1. Microwave-assisted chemical recycling of post-consumer ‘polyester type’ plastics into high-performance recyclable polymers. 2. Development of biobased polyurethane networks with “on demand” tunable biodegradability and mechanical performance, prepared from hemicellulose sugars). Before joining KTH, he worked as Research Scientist at the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers in Berlin, Germany (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon). Before that, he worked as Junior Research & Technology Associate at Department of Materials Research and Technology (MRT) at Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg (LINK). Prior to that, he undertook Postdoctoral Research in Polymer Chemistry within Bikiaris’s Group at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He has also worked as research assistant at Padova University, Italy. In March 2018, he achieved his PhD in Polymer Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Dimitrios Bikiaris from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The title of his PhD dissertation title is “Valorisation of Isosorbide: Synthesis of new functional polymers”. In Nov. 2013, he obtained his Master’s Degree in Organic Chemistry (Major: Synthesis and Reactivity in organic chemistry) from the University of Monastir, Tunisia. The title of his Master Thesis is “Synthesis and characterization of new functional structures based on isosorbide”.
His research mainly focuses on the following:
1) Design, Synthesis, and in-depth Study of new fully biobased polyesters for sustainable packaging materials (especially Bioplastics based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and other renewable monomers such as isosorbide, vanillic acid, succinic acid, among others), as well as the development of sustainable branched polyester/isocyanate-free polyurethane networks from renewable resources.
2) Chemical recycling and valorization of ‘polyester type’ plastics waste, e.g. by utilizing dynamic covalent chemistries, into value-added circular materials / Integrating plastic waste in the circular economy / Plastic waste management.
These activities have been the subject of 27 articles published in good peer-reviewed journals (Green Chemistry, Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Biomacromolecules, Polymer Degradation and Stability, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, European Polymer Journal, Polymers, Polymer Chemistry, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, etc.) with more than 1000 citations and h-index: 20 (Google Scholar).
Important links related to Nejib’s Profile:
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Job-related Skills and Expertise
. Development of biobased polyesters for sustainable packaging Materials
. Next-generation Bioplastics based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid
. Chemical Recycling and valorization of plastics waste into high-performance circular polymers
. Teaching experience
. Proposal writing skills
. Strong international network and professional experience in several leading European research groups (Greece, Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, France and Italy)
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In-depth knowledge and technical understanding of the Design, Synthesis and Study of fully biobased polymers, mainly polyesters, copolyesters, polyester blends and functionalized hyperbranched polyesters derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and other renewable monomers (isosorbide, vanillic acid, succinic acid, azelaic acid, etc.)
Chemical Recycling and valorization of post-consumer ‘polyester-type’ plastics to value added circular materials by utilizing dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) / Integrating plastic waste in the circular economy / plastic waste management
Excellent command of several synthesis techniques of Polyesters: Melt Polycondensation, Solid state Polycondensation, Polymer Blending, In Situ polymerization, Ring-Opening Polymerization, etc.
Furan-based Bioplastics: Sustainable polyesters, copolyesters, polyester Blends, and Isocyanate-free polyurethane thermosets derived from FDCA
Investigation of crystallization, melting behavior, mechanical performance, and “enzymatic / in soil” biodegradability of renewable (Co-)polyesters / Biobased (hyper)-branched polyesters and polyurethanes
Teaching experience of Master’s students (104 h) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm – Effective supervision skills (acquired through my experience as co-supervisor of BSc, MSc and PhD students)
Organic chemistry / “Microwave-assisted” organic synthesis
Job-related Keywords
Bioplastics, biobased polymers, polyester, copolyester, 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid, Melt polycondensation, Isosorbide, FDCA, FURAN-based polymers, polyimine, chemical recycling, plastics waste management, aminolysis, Isocyanate-free polyurethane, poly(ethylene furanoate), crystallization behavior, microwave-assisted polyester recycling, dynamic covalent chemistry, plastics waste in circular economy, PEF, sustainable polymers, polyester Blends, reactive blending, branched polyesters, solid-state polycondensation, biodegradability, structure-property relationship, polyurethane thermosets, catalysts, Ring opening polymerization, Vanillic acid, etc.
Nejib KASMI, PhD 